Odisha Govt detects over 84,757 ineligible ration cards: Minister

Following extensive electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) verification, a staggering 84,757 persons were found to be ineligible for ration cards, Odisha Food Supplies Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

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Odisha government has taken decisive steps to identify and remove ineligible beneficiaries from its ration card distribution list. As a result, 22,293 ration cards have been withdrawn so far, making these beneficiaries ineligible for future ration supplies.

As per data provided by the Food Supplies Minister, the highest number of cancellations occurred in Cuttack district, where 2,554 ration cards were withdrawn. Balasore followed with 1,436 cancellations, along with 1,618 in Nayagarh and 1,345 in Khordha.

This data was revealed in response to a query raised by Aswini Patra, a MLA from Biju Janata Dal (BJD), during a session of the Assembly.

The move underscores the State's commitment to ensuring that the government resources reach the genuinely needy and eligible beneficiaries, thereby improving the efficacy of its public distribution system (PDS).

Deadline extensions and enforcement

The Odisha government initially set February 15, 2025, as the final deadline for e-KYC verification of ration cards but extended it to March 31, 2025, after 12 lakh beneficiaries remained non-compliant. Minister Patra earlier emphasised no further extensions, warning that non-compliant cards would be cancelled.

Impact and subsequent steps

A new web portal launched in March 2025 processes fresh ration card applications after removing ineligible beneficiaries. Over 6.48 lakh people are now covered under the State Food Security Scheme, with 4 lakh names purged from NFSA lists. Health cards linked to fraudulent ration cards stand cancelled.

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Verification process and outreach

The e-KYC requires Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication via Electronic Public Service (EPS) centres or Jana Seva Kendras. Special teams were deployed to assist migrants in Goa and other states, while home visits were conducted for elderly/disabled beneficiaries.
The UIDAI’s offline e-KYC option allowed XML-based verification without biometrics.